Toledo Mud Hens Baseball

Randy '77, John '82, Greg '79, Murph '76

A couple years ago Greg '79 and Murph '76 had a conversation that had them understanding that each had a long-time wish, even a "bucket-list item," to visit the famous Toledo Mud Hens Baseball team.  It took some time, but they finally made it happen and invited a few Delt friends to join them for the event.

Our first stop in Toledo was the famous Tony Packo's,
made into a celebrity restaurant the way the
Mud Hens were made into a celebrity baseball team:
with multiple mentions during the wildly popular
TV series, M*A*S*H. 

Throughout the restaurant
there are hundreds (thousands?)
of hot dog buns signed by
famous folks and many others.

It turns out these many
hot dog buns look Great!
Even though most have been
on these walls for decades.
You'd think they would be
mostly moldy and smelly,
but it seems there is a local artist
who is skilled at creating
fake hot dog buns.
They look great!

Greg '79, Randy '77, John '82, Murph '76
at Tony Packo's

Greg introduced a new
friend to his fellow Delts.
This is Greg and Cindy.

Tony Packo's has a wonderful and fun atmosphere.

Numerous memorabilia are M*A*S*H oriented.

This original Tony Packo's location
was founded in 1932,
100 years after the founding of
Wabash College!

No surprise, but very cool:
Greg's vehicle sports a BSA Philmont plate!

Delts arrive at the ballpark,
just before the rain.

Our purchased seats were only a couple rows above
the first baseline.  Sadly, Not under cover from the rain.

And the rain came.  The Swamp Squad was a crew
that worked hard to build crowd enthusiasm.
A very difficult job on this rainy Tuesday night.

With the rain, we moved to open seats under cover,
but still above first base, so very good seats.

Finally, the game was under way.

Our Mud Hens did achieve a
Home Run!  But only one to
Omaha's 6!  😞

Sadly, the Mud Hens succumbed.

The next day, we made a brief
visit to the local Bass Pro Shop.

Skiing in Colorado

Enroute to the slopes

My oldest son, Allen IV, took me skiing at nearby (to his home in Georgetown, CO) Copper Mountain.

We were so early, the lift line was still closed!

He caught some pics with his GoPro.
The following photos came from his GoPro.
This is me skiing.

Allen IV handed his GoPro to me for these photos of him.

Just like thirty years ago,
Allen IV still likes skiing thru the trees!

Allen IV took back his GoPro for pics of me.

Oops!  That's snow on the lens and Allen IV
in the upper right corner,
immediately after his fall!

For the complete video, watch the above.

Wabash Delts in Arizona

View from our campsite looking east.
Rob picked a great spot!

Brad Ballentine '79 joined Rob Matthews '76 and Allen Murphy '76 for a desert camping experience in western Arizona for a long weekend respite from his snowy existence in central Indiana.  Rob has retired to north central Arizona, while Murph is snowbirding in southern Arizona.  Murph has the smaller RV, easier to maneuver through airports, so he picked up Brad while Rob took his RV to Quartzsite and staked a claim for our campsite, just north of town.

Most of these photos, and certainly the better pics, were taken by Brad.

Brad captured some great AZ Pics!

Rob gave us his camp's position, just north of Quartzsite,
a mile or so east of AZ Rt 95. 

And there he was!  Rob was right where he said we'd find him.

Rob welcomed us with cold drinks!  Quite refreshing
in the Arizona heat.

Murph set his camper nearby.  Rob's trailer is out of view,
immediately east of, and behind, Murph's RV, "Kelly VI."

Sunset our first night was exquisite.

Rob brought out his mobile HAM Radio gear.

Using Murph's ladder for a high point,
Rob & Brad stretched the antenna
for a hundred feet, both east and west.

Brad capturing the scene for
posterity.

The ladder is just visible between the RVs, the
antenna wire is not visible in this view.
Unfortunately, while we could eavesdrop on a few
conversations, we were unable to reach anyone on the air.

In the town of Quartzsite, many businesses seem
much less than permanent.  This was our
first stop in the afternoon.

Murph and Brad solving world issues over a snack and brew.

Our next stop was this VFW Post, which also welcomed
American Legion members and guests.
We were glad they did as we were Legion members, not VFW.

As with many small town Posts,
the staff are underpaid or not paid at all and
work for their tips.  Given the low prices, it is easy to
tip generously and, thankfully, most folks do.

Back at camp, Brad adopted this creosote bush.
He began by securing its home with a
nice circle of protective and decorative rocks.

It may have been these cute flowers that
caught Brad's eye.

This Saguaro cactus and its bush
were also near our camp, to the north.

Rob and Brad collected dirt (concentrate) from a nearby wash
that might contain gold.  Here, Rob is showing
Murph how to sift thru the concentrate for gold.

Brad and Rob enjoying the
propane fire pit that Rob
brought.  You can see the 
propane hose leading from
the fire to the tank.

The next morning we drove north to see the famous
London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, AZ.
Although the scene along our drive wasn't as
green as the Tucson area, the evidence of
significant rain this past fall and winter is clear.
Usually this time of year, the plants and desert are
shades of tan, brown and grey.

North of Parker, AZ we drove along the Colorado River.
That's California across the water.

London Bridge!

At the pub in Lake Havasu City.

Upon our return to Quartzsite, we decided to visit the
Quartzsite Yacht Club!  Notice the sailboat?  Yes,
a yacht club 166 nautical miles from the
nearest navigable waters, The Sea of Cortez!

As Murph is a sailor, he had joined the QYC during 
his first visit a month ago.

The Delts built a nice natural campfire with wood that
Rob brought from home.

Rob and his rig before departing for home.

As Brad and Murph passed through Quartzsite
on their way to the airport, they stopped
to discover why there were many camel sculptures
and images about town.